Chicken farmers are not happy with a new pricing formula
that cut their returns by 5.1 cents per kilogram in the current production
period.
And so Henry Zantingh, chairman of Chicken Farmers of
Ontario, told the annual meeting the marketing board is asking for another kick
at the can.
Geri Kamenz, chairman of the Ontario Farm Products Marketing
Commission, says the commission will consider that request.
And, if it decides that a review is warranted, it will hold
another round of consultations.
The last consultations were a private and secret affair
among the commission, the marketing board and the Association of Ontario
Chicken Processors.
While the marketing board wants a review of the new pricing
formula, the processors argue there should be an all-or-nothing acceptance of
the changes and that the focus now should be on working together to grow the
industry, find efficiencies and focus attention on consumers.
Both organizations have written letters to the commission
outlining their positions.
While the marketing board letter talks about details in the
new formula, the underlying message is clear: farmers don’t like the size of
the price cut.
